Warrant records are public in Washington County, Georgia, pursuant to the Georgia Open Records Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70 et seq.). This legislation establishes the public's right to access governmental records, including those pertaining to law enforcement activities such as warrants. The Act stipulates that public records shall be open for personal inspection and copying by any citizen of the state during regular office hours.
The Washington County Sheriff's Office maintains these records in accordance with state law. Public access to warrant information serves multiple governmental purposes, including:
Certain exceptions may apply to warrant records that are part of ongoing investigations or contain sensitive information as defined under O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72. In such cases, portions of records may be redacted or temporarily withheld in accordance with statutory provisions.
Warrant records maintained by the Washington County Sheriff's Office typically contain the following information:
The Washington County Magistrate Court is responsible for issuing most warrants in the county. Records maintained by this court include additional procedural information such as:
Members of the public may verify warrant status in Washington County through several no-cost methods:
When conducting a warrant search, individuals should be prepared to provide:
Pursuant to Georgia law, requestors are not required to disclose the purpose of their inquiry when seeking public records. However, certain identification requirements may apply when accessing courthouse facilities.
The Washington County Sheriff's Office is the primary law enforcement agency responsible for executing warrants within county jurisdiction. Sheriff warrants in Washington County fall into several categories:
Washington County Sheriff's Office
611 East Church Street
Sandersville, GA 31082
Phone: (478) 552-4795
Washington County Sheriff's Office
The Sheriff's Office maintains a dedicated warrants division that coordinates with other law enforcement agencies to execute warrants across jurisdictional boundaries when necessary. Under O.C.G.A. § 17-4-25, sheriff's deputies have authority to execute warrants throughout the county and, in certain circumstances, beyond county lines.
Individuals seeking to determine if they are subject to an active warrant in Washington County may utilize the following official channels:
For those concerned about potential warrants, the Washington County Magistrate Court provides information about warrant status and procedures for addressing outstanding warrants. The court can be contacted at (478) 552-3857.
Pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 17-4-20, law enforcement officers may execute arrest warrants at any time of day or night. Individuals with knowledge of an outstanding warrant against them may wish to consult legal counsel regarding voluntary surrender procedures, which may mitigate certain consequences.
Washington County provides multiple avenues for verifying outstanding warrant status:
When conducting a search for outstanding warrants, the following information facilitates more accurate results:
Under Georgia's Open Records Act, certain warrant information may be exempt from disclosure if it pertains to ongoing investigations or contains sensitive information as defined in O.C.G.A. § 50-18-72.